Transmissions, better choice?
 

Ok, my tranny is slipping through all of first gear. I can now feel it. My launches are terrible too...having difficulty spinning the tires, which is seriously bad seeing as I have about 230 hp at the wheels and a 4.10 rear. Second slips too. I'm looking at two transmissions.

I have $2000 to spend, including installation. I'm going to get a stall converter and a transmission. The stall converter, I'm thinking about a TCI 12" with a ~3000 stall.....probably the Street Fighter converter. Now, the transmission is my question.

Should I get TCI Street Fighter, or B&M Street/Strip? The TCI doesn't include a shifter it looks like...so with that added in, they're basically the same price...about $1500. Which should I go for? Here are the links so you guys can look at them.

TCI Street Fighter: http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...06&prmenbr=361

B&M Street and Strip: http://store.summitracing.com/partde...t=BMM%2D114501

Thanks guys...responses asap are appreciated because I want to get this done VERY soon!! And as an extra question..do you guys think I might pull very low 14's from this??

This is a shameless post to bring this topic back up to the top.

Anyone? Anyone at all? :D

I paid 850 for a STOCK REBUILD... remove and replace the tranny..... I'm sure for 1000 bucks or even 1500 or whatever you can rebuild your unit with all sorts of goodies... take it to a good tranny place and see what they say, hardly seems worth buying a whole new transmision. cause you'll pay someone do remove and install the new tranny eitherway
-as

Thing is, the local tranny shops SUCK. And the ones that do good work overcharge seriously. B&B wanted $2000 for a STOCK rebuild. The tranny shop I went to before to get my TV cable replaced and tightened...well they figured they'd 'do me a favor' and tighten the cable extra to firm the shifts up. Yeah, great idea. Overadjust the pressure on a hydraulic tranny. :rolleyes: It slips all through the gears, slips several times before fully engaging Overdrive, and THUNKS third gear unless I'm on the throttle JUST right.....
So in short, I dont trust a local tranny shop to rebuild this thing right. Which is why I want to just buy one. B&B wants only $300 to swap in a brand new tranny, shifter, and torque converter. Doesnt sound too bad to me.

that does suck, I live in the NORTHEAST and everything is more here then it is anywhere else in the country, cept maybe california... so if I can get it done for 850 then you shoudl be able to as well... there's gotta be a better solution for you... what about a chain place like AAMCO or something like that?

as for the swap, if you can get your car in the air, the swap isnt THAT hard to do... you could save some money by doing it yourself if you had some friends to help

-as

i was looking at the trannys that you posted. i thought that everything else being equal i think that your first gear ratio being higher would help you off the line and in each gear. its kinda like adding to your 4.10's and making them a little better. i looked for the ratios but couldnt fine one from tci i think. the summit one listed the first gear. if the tci is a higher number for first then i would go with that. i will give you a little more torque out of first and off the line. my .02 cents

I'm not so much looking for extra speed out of the tranny, although that's nice. I'm looking for just a really strongly built tranny that isn't going to give me any problems. And a stage 2 or stage 3 shift kit is always nice. :D As long as I chirp second I'll be happy.

New choice...what do you guys think about the Lentech Street Cruiser AOD? I would pay the extra $300 to have an optional 3000 stall 10" nonlockup converter packaged with it.
http://www.lentechautomatics.com/trans.htm
I'm CONSIDERING the next step up..I think it's Street Terminator...but $2000 for the trans....that's pushing it a little.....and it's still only rated too 400 horses.

or you could always go with a c-4 :D i love mine. You can build a nice strong c-4 for cheap and they will handle what ever u give it. I beat the hell out of mine and it still shift great. I just have tci billet servo and a deep pan and cooler on it with a 10' 3500 stall. We've run one behind a alcohol injected big block in one of the race cars for years and it takes it like a champ. You would have to lose the 4.10's though. I have 3.73's with it and love it.

just another option

yeah, the only draw back with the c4 is lack of over drive.. the OD on the AOD is like 1:0.65 or something realy low like that.. so that gives great cruising.....I had 3:42s on my olds with a TH350... wich I guess is the GM equivelent of the C4... and it was good... but I think 4:10 would suck on teh highway
-as

yea...i wouldnt run anymore gear than the 373's that i have right now with a 28 tall tire. I drive 95 everyday to work and its not too bad but i wouldnt put anymore gear in it. My goal is to make enough power that i have to put 3.55's in it to avoid running out of gear in the quarter...and that way it would be better on the highway too. i hope to be in the 10's after my new intake, ditch the stock maf and injectors and 9 pounds of boost

I got a rebuilt 89 AOD sitting in my basement. I'd take $500.00 plus your core. Its rebuilt , no miles, with raybestos clutches and has a shift kit. No converter.

One problem, Im in Tennessee.

God ******.... Wonder how much UPS would be on that sucker?! What stage shift kit...1 or 2? Has it got the original valvebody?

Id say if your were in my area come get it. I don't ship things, sorry.

Like some others stated before. Go get a core from a junk yard and do it yourself. There are alot of kick azz books on AOD upgrades. Soft parts are usually under $100.00. Spend a little extra and get things like a A+servo and a hardend shaft. Around $250.00 for servo and shaft. Kevlar cluches Ive found to be a little harsh for the street.

You'll save alot of cash for more important things like, "Hooters"

Considering I'm not mechanically inclined, am lacking tools, and seriously lacking garage space, I think I'll pass. I dont blame ya on the shipping deal. I probably wouldn't want to buy private anyways on something as big as a tranny. Was just curious though. I'm trying to survey ALL my options. As of right now, it looks like I might save for another few months and get the Lentech Street Terminator transmission...$2000 for just the tranny and a cheapo torque converter...another $300 for the 3000 stall 10" unit included. Yipes.

This does'nt seem to be too bad of a tranny.

WEBSITE

Holy christ, where did you find that? That's an AMAZING deal! A stage 2 kit (TransGo at that, which is the shift kit I preach to everyone if they get one because it's the best), a KEVLAR overdrive band, added clutches! I'm in shock! Shipped anywhere for under $1000!!! Pardon me...I just wet my pants... Man.....I know I'm going to regret this in the morning, and I think I'm losing all of my masculinity here, but....dare I say, I love you? ******, now I gotta go work out to feel macho again. :D

Go with the Lentech, you won't regret it. The Lentech units are the best AODs out there on the market and Lentech stands behind every unit that they sell. Give Len a call and tell him what your plans are for the car and they'll set you up with the best trans for your goals.

I've been emailing back and forth with him..... I was close to decided on the Street Terminator....but as much as I like the sound of the Lentech trannies, they're just too damn expensive! $2000 for the street terminator, plus another like $300 for a stall converter... It'd be nice to be able to get the the tranny. converter, shifter, cooler, and install all done with the $2000 or so I've got sitting in my bank account right now!

Tranny
 

I had my tranny shop install a Lentect street/stip valve body with OD lockout. He also put in HD clutches and cleaned everything as well. The valve body works great, 1-2-3, and will shift if you want it to. The guy that owns the shop races a SS/KA Buick so he knows what he is doing. I would go with 4:10 and a 10 inch coverter on an AOD car.

Well I've already got the 4.10...and for torque converters, I was thinking of the TCI Street Fighter converter...it's 10", 3000-3600 stall...something like that (little too high for my liking BUT that's ok because it's a lockup-type.) If not that, then maybe the 10" 3000 stall B&M Holeshot converter with the anti-ballooning plate for nitrous. Any opinions between those two? Both are on Summitracing.com.

which tranny
 

Be carefull about buying a low cost converter. I had 2 of them before I found a good one. Both were lower cost and both were junk! I like Percision Industries and Lentech.

If I were in your shoes... I'd be looking to get a t-5 installed and buy a set of heads with the rest of the money(good-bye 14s, hello 13s). On the other hand, if you want an auto and won't miss od then a c4 is the only way to go(you have the gears for it). It is soooo cheap to get a good c4 and then you could also get the heads. If you MUST have a built aod, I can't blame ya.. I think my tranny is the best thing in my car, I wouldn't buy **** from anyone but LENTECH.. listen to me!! I bought a wide gear ratio for my car(can be found in police cars), bought the PI imput shaft and "The Stallion" lock-up convertor and I had problems.. I called lentech and they told me my problem was that I had a lock-up convertor so I send the convertor back(one time free adjustment, I was about to send it back for a $750 refund) and bought the lentch street/strip valve body... after the install I was AMAZED!! My tranny is the envy of many a local mustanger and that is saying alot with the company I keep. Gas mileage went out the window but the performance is there.. I'm not sure this is what you are looking for though. If it is, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THOSE OTHER TRANNY COMPANIES!!! LENTECH KNOWS THIER ****! Art Carr has been a big name in auto trannies since I can remember but you can only use there imput shaft with one of thier convertors(which I thought was bull ****) and they are sooo over priced it ridiculous!... ok I'm rambling...

My advice to you is.. if you want a fast street car then get a t-5 conversion and a set of heads, you will run with the ls1s(with what you already have). If you want to get serious about some performance, buy a lentech tranny.. you will not be sorry(TRUST ME!). Above all else, DO NOT GET A STOCK REBUILD!!! Umm... yeah... I got one of those to start with... learn from my mistake..

Oh hell, if you are looking to get by cheap then what mustangII460 is offering would be a hell of a deal.. I'd definitely trust him, himself.(I meant to mention this is the last post)

Tranny - RBatson
 

Could I ask what tv pressure you run? How is your 1-2 shift. We set up the pressure a little conservative I think. Thurs. I am going to increase the line pressure.
Thanks,

RB, are you referring to the tranny that mustangII posted, the AO Dominator? I think I'm close to being completely decided on this.. My plans are: to order the AO Dominator Jr, and have the A+ billet servo, the mechanical diode, and the hardened input shaft installed with it. I'm trying to see if I can order it without the torque converter. I tried to get him to yank the valvebody as well but he won't do it....so I'm gonna have a leftover, stock valvebody with a stage 2 shift kit if anyone's interested? Then I'm gonna order a converter, which is between the two I mentioned so far....although despite the lockup on the TCI, I'm leaning towards the B&M Holeshot converter, but I'm not decided on that yet. And finally, I'm ordering the AOD valvebody from Lentech...and gonna have it all slapped together and have the valvebody included on that transmission removed.....then I'm going to TRY to sell my complete, working transmission, with a shifter, PLUS the extra valvebody with shift kit, as a "package deal"...so I can recoup at least SOME of the losses here. Overall, I think this setup should do me pretty good....I mean I'm only making 225 or so hp at the wheels right now. This tranny is SUPPOSED to hold up to 500 flywheel hp.

Re: Tranny - RBatson
 

I honestly couldn't tell ya.. My ex bitched about the shifts hurting her back and my mom said she was a crybaby...

I honestly couldn't tell you what the line pressure is.. I have a tranny guy that does my work... he is very good (been doing it since his teens) and for some strange reason won't take on any other mustangs but will always work on mine, I'd have to ask him

I was referring to the one he said he has for $500. I am not famiiar with the other 'AO Dominator', I didn't even look at the link. I can't give you recommendations on anything other than what I have dealt with first hand and as far as I'm conserned PI makes good stuff but Lentech actually knows what they are talking about.

My car ran like total **** before lentech started giving be advice..

Sorry I didn't answer this yesterday, I actually passed out on the couch in the middle of a post(30 hrs without sleep).. I've never owned a TCI product I did however have a B&M Holeshot convertor for years, I liked it. I'd still be using it if some shoddy mechanic didn't damage it..

Errr... any other 'trick' mustang trannies, he said they are a PIA to work on but since he started on mine he works on it..